Opinion

Can Abe’s successor lead Japan to economic prosperity?

In the coming weeks, Japanese politics will progress from its current obsession with personalities toward a renewed focus on policies. Sure, it was fun to watch the post-Abe succession race with all its speculation about possible character traits and leadership styles of the different candidates, bu...

Opinion

The spectre of financial socialism

The specter of financial socialism is haunting global financial markets. Where free markets and the magic of the invisible hand were always the fundamental pride and strongest weapons of the United States in the fight against communism, America now appears to have abandoned its core principles and i...

Opinion

Policy goal: How to get from good to great

As Japanese and global policymakers are rushing to design policies to counter the looming economic depression, advice from one of my favorite economists, Jean-Baptiste Say, comes to mind. In 1803 he wrote: “In policy as well as in morality, the grand secret is not to constrain the actions, but...

Opinion

Higher wages key to higher productivity

Productivity. It’s one of those rare concepts on which there is broad-based consensus. Whether you’re a policymaker, a hard-nosed investor, corporate executive or just having a discussion with your friends about what is needed for a better future. Yes, we all agree that productivity is a...